Cafés in South Korea are more than just somewhere to get coffee. On a weekday afternoon, you can probably find young professionals spending hours at keyboards and students bent over textbooks and laptops in any Seoul café.
The phenomenon has intrigued and infuriated café owners alike, throwing into question profitability, use of space, and the evolving role of cafés in the urban landscape of today.
The Rise of the “Studying Café Culture”
The genesis of this trend lies in South Korea’s high-stress work and study culture. With the OECD’s longest study periods, students seek quieter places outside the home to focus. The pressure-cooker work culture, on the other hand, has led to a gig economy, remote work, and side hustle revolution — all of which are supported by flexible workspace solutions.
While libraries are available, they have restricted hours, and no food or drinks are allowed. Thus, cafés have emerged as favourite destinations. Chains like Starbucks and homegrown favourites like Mega Coffee offer free Wi-Fi and air conditioning — a desirable package for those looking for a second office or study haven.
Affordability Meets Accessibility
Another important factor is the relatively low entry price. A coffee in South Korea could be as little as $2.50–$3.75, and this is from discount chains that have filled city centres. With no time limit on sitting, this small outlay can add up to many hours of working space—a bargain compared to an hour-per-seat co-working space or study café.
Furthermore, South Korea boasts the highest café density of any country, ensuring that space is never a premium. Tens of thousands of cafés, ranging from small independent establishments to large multi-storey chains, can be found in Seoul alone.
Business Challenges for Café Owners
But not every café owner finds this trend to be a good one. The idea that a customer would occupy a premium seat for five hours and then only purchase a single drink creates issues of turnover and profitability, particularly in high-rent districts where overheads are high.
Others have reconfigured their layout with more compact tables and less reclining seating, encouraging customers to linger for shorter times. Others have implemented time limits, especially at busy hours.
There is also a new market for hybrid spaces. Some cafés now operate as co-working lounges with hourly passes, meeting rooms, or enhanced seating areas with extra amenities. Such shifts are part of an overarching trend in South Korea’s service sector: the convergence of hospitality, productivity, and convenience.
This phenomenon can be described as a cultural norm rather than merely a trend
It must be mentioned here that this café culture is rooted in broader social routines. It is a country where quite a number of young people still live with their parents due to the expense of housing, and cafés are a neutral zone — a place to study, work, go out with friends, or simply hang out outside the house. The notion of “me-time” in an open, but private, space is one of the charms of the café.
The Way Forward
As cafés evolve further into multifunctional community spaces, entrepreneurs will be required to strike a balance between hospitality and sustainability. Cafés may be able to continue turning a profit while adapting to the modern lifestyle of South Korean urban dwellers by providing tiered services, varied menus, and flexible space designs.
Finally, the full tables and buzzing laptops are not just a sign of idling — they are an indication of changing work cultures, social mores, and the redefinition of public space in one of Asia’s most hectic societies.
